Spool



Feb. 26, 1935. I J, TAYLOR- 1,992,257

SPOOL Filed April 3, 1953 dream,

Patented Feb. 26, 1935 v UNITED STATES sroor. 7 Joseph K. Taylor, runners, N. 1., usignor to mil-mine Sonoco Products Company, corporation of South Carolina Application April s, 1933, Serial No. 664,235

3 Claims. (01. 242-132) This invention relates to spools and particularly to spools designed and constructed for use in the textile industry as cores or supporting structures for thread packages or windings;

In the operation of the average textile plant.

engaged in either .the knitting or weaving of cloth, many thousand spools are in daily use. Upon such spools are wound packages of thread, which may be either cotton, silk, wool, rayon, or various combinations of these materials. The textile machine operator requires that the spool be mathematically true, that is, that the head or base of the spool be coaxial with the cylindrical center or barrel, and that the weight of the spool be balanced oruniformly distributed about this axis. He further requires that the spool be light in weight, durable, and inexpensive. By reason of this demand, many kinds of spools have been designed or suggesteda number of different types of which are now in daily use.

However, the demand for a more satisfactory and less expensive spool has continued, despite the multiplicity of suggestions heretofore made, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a textile spool which more nearly meets with the requirements of all textile machinery operators than any heretofore devised or placed on the market. In accordance with the present invention, a spool is provided which in its simplest form comprises two elements, 1. e., the barrel and the base, both of these elements in turn being of the simplest nature so that the resulting article is of great simplicity, may be made at low cost, and yet has the necessary qualities of lightness, durability, and accuracy of balance. The invention may be embodied in a spool having a single head or in one having two heads, one at each end of the barrel, and to the two basic elements of the spool may be added additional elements, if desired, under certain circumstances; for instance, an end disc or closure for the conical base may be added if its use is considered advanta eous;

4 In the fabrication of the spool I preferably inake the usual cylindrical barrel of paper, as paper is the least expensive oi! all materials which may be employed for this purpose and is eminently suitable as a support for a thread winding. The conical base, which forms a support for the spool when placed on end and likewise confines the end of the thread package, is fabricated of metal, preferably comprising a single metallic sheet stamped, spun, or otherwise shaped into the desired form, care being taken in the fabrication of the metallic base to provide a central cylindrical portion having the same diameter ,as tliat of the external surface of the barreL' The base is therefore caused to contact with the barrel over" a considerable area, when these parts are assembled, and by reason of this relatively large area 5 of contact, the two parts of thespool are at all times maintained in true axial alignment.

In the drawing: 7 Figures 1 and 2 show inaxial section, respectively, two types of the improved spool; and

Figuras 3 and 4 also illustrate in axial section twoadditional forms of the spool, these forms including end discs or closures. notincluded in. the form shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The barrel of the spool shown inwlgure 1 is 16 indicated at 10, and while this barrel may be fabricated of wood, fiber, metal, or other material,

I preferably form it of paper by winding a rela-' tively thinsheet of paper upon a mandrel and securing the convolutions tightly together by a 20 suitable adhesive and sizing material. The surface of the barrel may be trued by a grinding operation, which at the same time creates a very advantageous thread retaining nap thereon. The. end of the spool isupset or turned over to form 25 an outwardly projecting annular flange 10'. The base is indicated at 11 and comprises a relatively thin-metallic sheet shaped as a.,truncated cone.

At its small end the conical base 11 isprovlded.

with an inwardly projecting cylindrical flange 11', 30.

the interior diameter of which is substantially .identical in length with the length of the diameter of the outensurfaceof the barrel 10 so that when the cone ,and barrel 7 are assembled, as shownin Figure 1, the of the flange $6 11 tightly engagesthe outer 'surfaceiof the barrel. The edge of flange 11' abuts against the flange 10' of the barrel. The flange 11' is flrmly secured in this position byany suitable means, as by an adhesive or by stapling, stitching with wire, 40 or the like The outer edge of the conical member 11 may be upset or folded over so that a marginal bead 11 is provided which constitutes a stiffening ring, increasing thestrength and stiffness of the base so that it is well able to withstand 45 the mechanical. shocks to which it. is ordinarily subjected in use. while the metal of which the. base is fabricated is ductile and light in weight, it,is at the sam'etime suiiiciently rigid to have very considerable mec anical strength. It is 59 found that aluminumisa suitable material, so far as strength is concerned, and always presents a bright smooth surface. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2, the barrel 20 and base 21 are secured to each other in a somewhat different manner.. In this case the base is provided with an outwardly extending cylindrical flange 21 which tightly fits the outer surface of the barrel, and the barrel is provided with a headed-over portion or flange 20' at its end, which is frusto-conieal and designed to flt tightly against the conical inner surface of the base. The upper edge or margin of flange 21 is, after the two parts are assembled as shown, tuned into the barrel, as indicated at 21', by a suitable swaging or pe'ening operation so that "the upper edge of flange 21' does not form a ledge interrupting the otherwise smooth cylindrical surface of the spool. By this operation likewise the barrel and base are interlocked against relative axial movement. In addition, suitable securing means may be employed, if desired, for rigidly .attaching the base and barrel, this securing means being in this instance preferably an adhesive because it is undesirable to have the otherwise smooth exterior surface of the spool broken by rivet heads or the like. i

In Figure 3 of the drawing, a form of the spool is illustrated which is generally similar to that form shown in Figure 1, but-in this instance an end disc 30 of fiber, paper, or the like is added, and the outer margin of the frusto-conical base 31 is spun or otherwise curved around the periphery of the end disc 30. The disc 30 adds slightly to the weight of the spool and slightly to the expense of manufacture but is desirable in some instances, especially where it is desired to place on the end of the spool advertising matter or marks of. identification. 5 v

In Figure 4 a spool is illustrated which is also provided with end disc indicated at 40, the

' outer periphery of this end disc being enveloped and tightly engaged by the turned-over outer margin of the frusto-conical base 41. In the case of this form of the spool, the barrel 42 extends through the central aperture in the end disc and is headed over as at 42'. The cylindrical flange 41' of the etallic base may be extended if desired so as l o contact with the inner face of the end disc 40','but preferably this flange is formed as shown and a cylindrical abutment or spacing member 43, of any suitable materiaL'interposed between the annular end of flange 41 and the in-' nersurface of the end disc 40. This member 43 supports the end disc centrallyagainst inward movement and adds strength and rigidity'to the spool. It may be secured to the'barrel by an adhesive or by stapling or stitching.

While in all of the illustrated forms of the invention a spool having a single head is shown, it

will be appreciated that spools having heads at both ends of the barrel may be fabricated if desired, the addition of the second head involving no complications.

' Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A spool including a barrel, end disc, and base, the end disc being coaxial with the barrel and spaced from the end thereof, and the base comprising a frusto-conical sheet metal member having a flange at its inner end closely engaging a substantial area of the outer surface of the barrel, whereby said barrel and base are firmly maintained incoaxial relationship, and having its outer margin curved around and supporting the periphery of the disc.

2. A spool including, in combination, a cylindrical barrel of paper having an abutment and a base comprising a frusto-conical sheet metal member having a coaxial cylindrical flange at its inner end and extending toward the outer end,

said flange closely engaging a substantial area of the smooth cylindrical outer surface of the barrel, and the annular edge thereof contacting with said abutment whereby the .barrel and base are mutually maintained in coaxial relationship and positively held against relative axial movement in one direction, relative movement in the opposite direction being prevented by securing means connecting the flange and barrel.

3. A spool including, in combination, a cylindrical barrel having an outwardly directed an-' nular flange at its end and a frusto-conical sheet 'metal base having a cylindrical flange at its inner end and extending toward the outer end thereof, said flange being coaxial with the frustoconical portion of said base, the inner surface of said flange closely engaging a substantial area of the cylindrical outer surface of the barrel and its annular edge contacting with said abutment whereby the barrel and base are mutually maintained in coaxial relationship and held against relative axial movement in one direction.

JOSEPH K. TAYLOR. 

